The Grenada gazette., 1887-10-29

sailors, who had been from twenty
four to thirty hours without eating ;
mouthful, would have at least nibbled
at it? l am telling Iyou what after
ward made affidavit to. ! made re-
pcated attempts to worry down some
of the meat, but each time it was re.
jected. Some of the men who got 8
few swallows of the tea down were
made dreadfully sick. Again we went
suppsrless, but now the men began to
assert that no law Of the high seas per.
mitted captain to starve his crew
We would wait until morning. and, il
the food was not changed, something
must be done. am sure the Captain
expected something to occur thai
night, for he was frequently on deck,
and the three officers were more than
once in consultation. The cook had
reported, as we afterward learned,
that none of the supper had been eaten,
and the Captain had replied:
''Well, the burned sojers will either
eat such grub as I set out, or I've on
their own fat"
I am telling you 'truthfully that not
word Of mutiny was whispered dur
ing the night. We made no threats.
and had no plan, but yet we all felt
that tAe morning would bring crisis
Of some sort. During the night, in
the case of both watches, the officers
were very abusive, and The men were
struck or kicked without the shadow
Of an excuse. When daylight came,
and we began to scrub down, the
breeze fled quite away, and we lay be-
calmed. We were at this time about
ninety Or hundred miles from the Brit
ish coast. When it was time for break
fast both watches were on deck: and
as the men went to the cooks galley
to receive their kids and pannikins all
three officers showed up on deck. I
was at the wheel, and l saw that the
captain and first mate had their re-
volvers The kids were taken forward
without word. The food had not
been changed, and the men pushed
the dishes away. If there was any
growing / couldn't hear it. The cap
tain waited about ten minutes, and
then, seeing that the men were not
going to eat, he told the second mate
to order them aft. All came in a
body, and all bore themselves respect
fully.
"Look here, HERBERT" said the
captain, addressing the sailor, who
had acted as spokesman on the previ-
Gus occasion, ''what is the matter with
the grub?"
"lt's bad, sir-unft to eat" replied
the man
THAT is. you lazy lubbcrs have
agreed among you to call it bad, and
SO make me put into some port?'
''Sir, there's never a man of us but
what is willing to stand for the voyage
and work our best, but the grub, sir
begging your pardon, was spoiled long
enough before it came aboard Would
you please inspect it, sir?'
"Not by blamed sight; and now
we'll see which end of this ship sails
the other.'
With that lie rushed upon Herbert to
strike him with his loaded weapon,
while the mates seized Delaying piNs
and dashed in to knock down as many
men as they could. The sailors ran
forward, and l heard some of them
begging for mercy. The officers fol-
lowed them, evidently determined to
wreak savage vengeance, and it was
only when driven to the windlass that
the men turned. Il was case of self
defence. ! could not well see what
followed, but l heard pistol shots.
savagv cries, great struggle. and, rs
it now came on dead calm. | left the
wheel ard ran forward. All was over
when l got to the foremast. The three
officers were dead or dying. Herbert
and another sailor were dead, and of
the remainder of the men at least five
were seriously wounded. The mutiny
had not lasted above five minutes For
n long time after l reached tho bow
The men stood looking around them
without uttering n word. Then. at
asst, a Yankee sailor named Ben Lob
lell. who had bullet in his left
shoulder, stood out little from the
est and said:
"Mates, we have been driven to
nutiny and murder. Aye, every man
# you knows we had to turn to save
,ur own lives against these officers
ying dead. 1t has all come about
through the bad grub. shall now
rider the cook to prepare us break.
asst, and after that is eaten we shall
consult as to what is to be done.
Meanwhile, as in duty bound, I will
ct signal of distress.
The steward got the flag from the
ecker in the cabin and it was proper.
Y set. Then the hurts of the wounded
we're looked to. and by that time
breakfast was ready. 1t was served |